Tomorrow
by Ocean Queen Gina
Summary: Tomorrow Giovanni sees the building of her dreams and with the help of her newsie friends she makes it into a Lodging House. As time goes on the newsies realize that the LH is not just a bunch of bricks but a story about them and the lives they lead.
1. Chapter 1

_**October 14th, 1900**_

_**Mayberry St. Brooklyn**_

**Tomorrow stood staring up at the large brick building. Years of neglect and being abandoned had worn the building down to a hovel but Tomorrow could see something in it. Her best friends Trinket, Magpie and Fantasy stood beside her saying she was crazy for even taking a second glance at it.**

**"Come on Tomorrow, it's just an abandoned building. What's so special about it?" Trinket asked in a weary voice.**

**"I am not sure but I know we have enough money to start fixing it up. Please you guys, usually I am right about my 'feelings'!" Tomorrow pleaded while holding her palm out.**

**"Why do you have to be so…so…so persuasive?" Fantasy said digging in her pocket pulling out 15 dollars that she had saved up over the last 10 years.**

**"Good," Tomorrow said smiling holding all of their money in her palm. "We have 36 dollars all together. With that who knows what this place will turn out to be?" Tomorrow said positively.**

**"What exactly is this building going to be?" Magpie asked with a confused look.**

**Tomorrow flashed a smile and just walked into the building leaving Magpie, Fantasy and Trinket to groan.**

**"A lodging house." Mumbled Trinket as she followed behind Tomorrow.**

**Inside, the building wasn't much better than how it looked outside. The front door was boarded up but one hard push and the wood came crumbling down. It was easy to see that rain, wind, and even termites had destroyed all wood things in the building. When Trinket walked in first she was caught in a web of sticky cobwebs that clung to her hair. The smell was awful, like something had died and immense heat had gotten to it. It was hard to see what Tomorrow had seen in it.**

**The three girls walked a little further and met a desk that had scatters of paper covered in a thick blanket of dust. Behind the desk stood Tomorrow smiling. The whole room was falling apart and even the chandelier that hung above their heads looked like it was falling off the ceiling. All around them were broken chairs and a three legged table. On the left side there was a fire place which was considerably in good shape.**

**"I think it's time to call Jack and the boys." Tomorrow declared and the three girls nodded.**

**Within the next two days Jack and the rest of the Manhattan Newsboys were at the building trying to help the girls find the building's true potential.**

**"Jesus, goils what were ya thionkin?" Jack asked putting his arm around Tomorrow's waist.**

**"We weren't thinking anything, it was all Tomorrow's fault!" Fantasy said laughing.**

**Jack laughed too and climbed back up the ladder to help Blink hang the chandelier correctly. The task of cleaning the place seemed impossible but India knew they all could get it done.**

**"Tomorrow! Skittery and Mush have the new door and they want to know how to hang it!" Half Pint said, calling Tomorrow.**

**"Hold on!" Tomorrow called back as she tried standing up a chair that Race somehow managed to fix.**

**When she was done she walked over to where Skittery and Mush held on to the door with all their strength.**

**"Okay, boys just set it down for now." She said biting her bottom lip.**

**"This is how I want you to hang it…" Tomorrow went on and on with the instructions until the new oak door was hung in place.**

**By the time the door and chandelier was hung the sky had turned dark and Tomorrow tried lighting all the candles, lamps and even the chandelier to get some decent light. All 11 newsies huddled around the fire that Jack managed to light with the broken chair legs. Magpie sat next to Skittery reading a new book that he had brought her, Wuthering Heights and Tomorrow huddled under a wool blanket with Jack as she fell asleep in his arms. Days and nights like these were just perfect; even if Race was getting mad at Fantasy for saying he was a lousy gambler.**

**Poor Trinket sat next to the fire staring at the golden embers. It had been awhile since she had seen Spot and he didn't come to help them because of the meeting he had with Queens to settle a long time dispute. Even though Spot was faithful to her he sometimes got caught up in his work and often forgot about what Trinket wanted.**

**The night seemed peaceful as all the newsies tried ignoring Race's loud voice as they tried sleeping. When morning came they all knew Tomorrow would make them get back to work again in order to make her new building beautiful.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Daybreak came early for the newsies and before they knew it they were working on the upstairs of the building. Tomorrow had a plan and as always her plan had to be just right or she would not be happy. Don't get her wrong though she isn't a control freak she just knows how she likes it.

Jack looked around unlike the lobby part of the building the upstairs was completely bare except for a few scattered pieces of chairs and cobwebs that hung high above their heads. Upstairs had a musty smell and it was damp and dark but they did their best to uncover the boarded windows and let in the crisp autumn air.

"Tomorrow, maybe you were right this place could be something." Fantasy said looking around the room with her hands on her hips.

"Except that it does need a lot of work to actually be something." Trinket corrected her with a small smile.

"You guys are right but in no time this place will be up and running." Tomorrow said positively as she got back to work.

So far only the chandelier, door and the building had been swept and the broken pieces of chairs and tables had been fixed. Thanks to the help of the Manhattan boys the girls would have never gotten this far.

They all worked throughout the day and finally all that was left was painting and furnishing the building but the newsies didn't have much money. Hell, they hardly had any money at all. Tomorrow was smart and resourceful, though. She'd find a way to make it happen.

"Well, well, well. Ain't this a regular jamboree!" Spot said in the door way.

"Spot!" Trinket exclaimed as she ran towards him to embrace him in a passionate kiss.

"I'se didn't know you'se missed me dat much." Spot said when they broke the lip lock.

It was easy to see that Trinket was in love but all the newsies had their suspicions about Spot's feelings for her. As everyone knew Spot was quite a ladies man and he never really had a relationship that grounded him to just one woman.

"'Ey Jacky boy, how's it rollin'?" Spot asked spitting in his hand for a shake.

"Not to fast. I'se hoid you'se been thionkin' on a final agreement wit Queens all dese years." Jack said returning the gesture.

"Yea, so gotta problem wit dat?" Spot asked getting defensive.

"Oh come on Spot he didn't mean anything by that." Said Trinket.

"No, I'se don't." Jack answered before getting back to work.

"Tomorrow, what's all dis about?" Spot asked looking around the lobby.

"I invested into a building. A new lodging house." Tomorrow answered as she swept the floor with a faster pace.

"Really?" Spot answered as he walked deeper inside.

"Yea, soon this place will be up and runnin'." Tomorrow said as she moved to the fire place to sweep the ashes into a bucket.

Tomorrow had a dream and being very determined she was going to have that lodging house no matter what anybody said. Thankfully she had people that actually believed in her and helped but Spot loved mocking her. They both fought like brother and sister and even though they got on each other's nerves, it didn't matter. That was their relationship and she needed the Brooklyn newsies to help her with her dreams. Some how she'd get Spot to help.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Tomorrow sat next to the fireplace, thinking. She knew it would be hard to think up a way to get Spot to help them, but not this hard. It had been two days since Spot had popped up at the building and he had whisked Trinket off to the Brooklyn Lodging House. With Trinket not there Tomorrow had a hard time getting anything done, not just making improvements on the building but with just coming up with a plan. If Trinket was there then she could've helped Tomorrow devise a plan to win Spot over. But now, Tomorrow was stuck.

"Tomorrow, why'se ya sittin' there alls alone?" Race as he came in the front door.

Tomorrow turned around and paused.

"Well, everyone's out at the diner or somewhere else." She replied.

Race came closer to her, sat down and pulled a stub of a cigar out from his pocket. He lit it and then put it into his mouth.

"Why ya not wit 'em? Race asked.

"Oh I don't know, just had ta think I guess." Tomorrow replied looking down at her feet and wiping the dust of her black boots.

"Thionkin' about what?" He asked.

"To get Spot ta help." Tomorrow mumbled and looked up, revealing a smirk.

Race chuckled. "To bad Trinks not here she coulda helped ya."

"I know!" Tomorrow exclaimed laughing.

"This building means a lot to ya, why?" Race asked, now he was getting serious.

Tomorrow thought for a second, took her small hand and ran it through her long wavy dark brown hair and replied. "When I look at this building, I just don't see bricks but hope. All my life I have gone through homes, this building is giving me stability and others too. I don't want other kids to live a life with never really having a home. This is salvation for me."

There was longing in Tomorrow's eyes, and sadness to. Race knew what she had gone through. He was the one who found her on the streets when she was 10. But no matter what Tomorrow always stayed positive, knowing that tomorrow will be better. That's how she got her name, always thinking about tomorrow.

Race nodded and stood up. "Think you'se be alright alone?" He asked.

Tomorrow nodded and bit her lower lip. Race patted her head and started walking to the door but before he left he spoke, "You'se keep that hope, alright?"

Tomorrow choked out a "yea" and quickly wiped away a tear as it slid from her eye.

When the newsies came back they found Tomorrow asleep on the floor next to the fireplace. Jack started to life and went over to where she slept and shook her very lightly in affect to attempt to wake her.

"'Ey Jack, you'se know dat Tomorrow sleeps like a rock! You'se ain't gonna wake her up anytime soon." Blink said, as if to warn Jack.

"Yea I'se know but I'se gotta try." Jack said.

It was no use everyone knew once Tomorrow was asleep, she was asleep and she wasn't going to wake up until she wanted to. It was actually very funny and the newsies loved to tease Tomorrow about it.

Knowing that it was useless, Jack picked up a blanket that had been carefully folded and stacked into a pile with other blanket. Carefully he took the blanket and put it over Tomorrow.

The other newsies all walked in and Race stoked the fire which now lit the room and provided warmth for the cold newsies. Each one of them found their own spot around the fireplace and soon they were all asleep. For the newsies night was the only time of day where everything was simple, almost predictable. They needed that for they lived in the city that never sleeps.

When Tomorrow woke she found Jack's arm wrapped around her and that the other newsies were still fast asleep. The fire had died down again and was only glowing embers. Tomorrow lifted her head and looked at the clock which she had found at the market for a cheap price. It read 6:07 A.M. the newsies wouldn't be leaving for another hour and Tomorrow didn't want to wake them. But she did want to go and start cleaning on the top floor.

For everyone who knew Tomorrow, they understood how devoted she was to everything. Once she set her mind on something she was going to do it and she would work her hardest at it. Some may call it stubbornness or OCD but really it was just determination and devotion.

So, she had made up her mind and she was going to go and fulfill it. Carefully she picked up Jack's arm and inched her way out of the covers and gently put his am down and placed the blanket over him. Quietly she tip toed over sleeping newsies and made her way to the back of the room, where the staircase was.

As she climbed up the old staircase (which had been swept clean) she took in the feel of the old, warped wood. She smiled as she thought of what happened on those staircase years before. She loved the thought that the building had history. It was charming to know others were once there.

She made it to the top room and she realized that she had never seen it. On the far end there was a mattress far from the bed frame which had fallen apart and the floor was covered in dust and bits of the ceiling plaster that had fallen. Tomorrow made her way over to the broken down furniture and as she pulled the mattress up she realized it was perfectly usable, so was the bed frame. All it needed was some sprucing up and to be put back together.

Just then she heard someone walking up the stairs. Tomorrow froze in fear and she really didn't know why. Then, Jack appeared and she loosened up, almost embarrassed that she had been afraid.

"What, you'se think I'se some moirderer?" Jack asked with a smirk.

"Naw," Tomorrow replied as she set the mattress down.

Jack stood there with a look on his face, not a bad one but a look. He stared at Tomorrow how was standing there just in her chemise and with her long wavy hair cascading down her shoulders. The morning light shed from the window that was behind her casting a glow all around her. She looked like an angel.

"What?" Tomorrow asked confused.

"Nothin'." Jack replied as he walked up to her and slipped his arms around her waist.

Tomorrow looked up at him and he smiled at her. He was so much taller than her. She was just a short Italian, barely 5'1". He thought her shortness was adorable.

"Tomorrah," Jack could barely choke out her name.

"Yea?" She answered.

"I love you." He said simply.

Right then and there Tomorrow's knees began to buckle beneath her and her heart was about to explode with pure joy and happiness. Those simple words meant so much and Tomorrow loved hearing them, for the first time in her life.

"I love you too." Tomorrow replied barely at a whisper.


End file.
